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By Jon Machota
2h ago
4
The five most-targeted Cowboys wide receivers last season were CeeDee Lamb, Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, Cedrick Wilson and Noah Brown. None of them were on the field Thursday afternoon as the Cowboys practiced with the Los Angeles Chargers in Costa Mesa, Calif.
Instead, Dak Prescott threw passes to wide receivers like Jalen Tolbert, Simi Fehoko and Dennis Houston.
“It was big for them,” Prescott said after practice. “We talked about it Monday, just those guys being able to step into an opportunity, make some plays and do something that they maybe haven’t done. … This is about that time to work and make other guys step up and take advantage of their opportunity. Who knows, hopefully not, but there may be times when (some of the veteran wide receivers aren’t available during the season), and we have to know what we’re working with.
“Those guys got to know what I expect from them and how they expect me to throw the ball. It’s all good things to be worked on.”
Cooper and Wilson are no longer on the roster. Lamb (foot), Gallup (knee) and Brown (toe) are working their way back from injuries. None of those three, or Prescott, are expected to play in Dallas’ second preseason game Saturday night against the Chargers. But several of those young wide receivers will be in the lineup, looking to prove they deserve a significant role or at least a roster spot.
As a preview to Saturday night’s game, here is a stock report on 12 key players who should see considerable playing time.
Quinton Bohanna (Kirby Lee / USA Today)
Stock up
DaRon Bland, CB. With Jourdan Lewis nursing a hamstring injury, Bland got significant snaps with the first-team defense Thursday, intercepting one pass and getting his hands on a few others. Bland has seemingly improved with every week of training camp. He had a good showing in last week’s preseason game. The rookie is probably best defending the slot, but he can also play on the outside.
Quinton Bohanna, DT. The 6-4, 330-pounder showed up big in the running game during the Cowboys’ first preseason game, helping hold the Denver Broncos to only 39 yards on 22 carries. His standout play has continued this week in practices against the Chargers. Dallas needs better play from its defensive tackles. Last year’s sixth-round pick appears ready for a bigger role.
Simi Fehoko, WR. He has made the most of his increased opportunities this training camp and preseason, particularly in the red zone, using his good size (6-4, 218) and speed to cause mismatches. More importantly, he’s playing with a lot more confidence than he did last year as a rookie. Fehoko, who seems to make at least one impressive play every practice, looks capable of having some type of role in the offense this season.
Jake Ferguson, TE. It’s difficult to project what a fourth-round pick is going to do in his first training camp, but Ferguson has looked the part. Entering camp, he was a good bet to make the team, but probably be a guy who doesn’t make much of an impact, working behind veterans like Dalton Schultz, Sean McKeon and Jeremy Sprinkle. But Ferguson appears ready to contribute in Year 1 and might end up being the team’s second most valuable tight end behind Schultz.
Will Grier, QB. He was having a strong start to training camp before he was sidelined for a few days with a groin injury, causing him to miss last Saturday’s preseason game. Grier returned to practice this week and is expected to play against the Chargers. He has a legitimate shot at winning the backup job if he plays well in the next two preseason games and Cooper Rush doesn’t improve on what he showed last week.
Dennis Houston, WR. He’s been arguably the biggest surprise of camp. Not many were talking about the undrafted rookie free agent out of Western Illinois when the team arrived in California. But everyone has been raving about him since, from players to coaches to members of the front office. It’s not just his sure hands and route running, Houston has developed a reputation of always being where he’s supposed to be.
A TMZ camera person recently asked Cowboys owner Jerry Jones about the possibility of signing former All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Brown. Jones responded that they “want to give these young guys a real chance to make this team.” Houston is definitely one of the “young guys” Jones was referring to.
Josh Ball (75) (Kirby Lee / USA Today)
Stock down
Josh Ball, OT. The Cowboys are hoping he can handle being the team’s swing tackle this season. It’s an important role, especially considering Tyron Smith’s recent injury history. Ball did not look ready for that job last Saturday against the Broncos. If last year’s fourth-round pick doesn’t play better, the Cowboys have to explore adding a veteran offensive tackle for depth.
Kelvin Joseph, CB. Off-the-field issues aside, Joseph hasn’t looked ready for a starting opportunity. Last year’s second-round pick hasn’t made many plays on the ball in practice or last Saturday’s game. He also had the notable offside penalty right before halftime that turned a missed 57-yard field goal into a made 52-yarder. Trevon Diggs, Anthony Brown, Lewis and Bland have all been better than Joseph. At times, Nahshon Wright has been as well.
Cooper Rush, QB. To keep the backup job, he must play better than he did last Saturday. Yes, Rush was playing with an inexperienced wide receiver group, but he never looked like a veteran backup in that game. He had a poorly-thrown short pass intercepted and could have had at least one more as he finished 12 of 20 for 84 yards and a 48.8 passer rating. If Grier plays well and Rush struggles again, Rush’s roster spot is in trouble. If Rush plays better or the two are close at the end of the preseason, Rush will likely get the edge because of what he did last season when needed.
Jeremy Sprinkle, TE. Entering training camp, Sprinkle seemed like a decent bet to make the team. He played in all 17 games last season. But the emergence of Ferguson and even undrafted rookie Peyton Hendershot hasn’t been great news for Sprinkle, who hasn’t stood out much over the past three weeks.
Jalen Tolbert, WR. The immediate expectations for the third-round pick were probably too high entering training camp. Tolbert has the tools to become a good NFL wide receiver, it just might take him some time. He needs to play better than he did last Saturday night, finishing with only two catches for 10 yards on seven targets. The Cowboys will continue to give him a lot of opportunities over the upcoming weeks. With Gallup and James Washington (foot) out early in the season, they need Tolbert to contribute immediately.
Nahshon Wright, CB. He struggled in coverage against the Broncos on several occasions and Denver certainly appeared to be targeting him early and often. Wright is expected to make the roster, but he needs to play better.
